On October 7, 2025, the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow submitted to the Chamber of Advocates of the city of Moscow a representation on the termination of the status of advocates Yuliy Tay, Alexey Basistov, and Dmitry Provodin on the basis of subparagraph 7 of paragraph 2 of Article 17 of Federal Law No. 63-FZ of May 31, 2002 «On Advocacy and the Legal Profession in the Russian Federation» (hereinafter referred to as the Law).
This provision of the Law provides for the possibility of terminating the status of an advocate by a decision of the council of the chamber of advocates, adopted on the basis of the conclusion of the qualification commission, in the event of the advocate’s departure for a permanent place of residence or for a period of more than one year outside the Russian Federation, except for departure outside the Russian Federation for treatment or study, or to accompany family members sent to perform labor or other duties outside the Russian Federation by state authorities or Russian organizations, or for other valid reasons.
On January 29, 2026, based on the results of the consideration of the disciplinary case by the Qualification Commission and the Council of the Chamber of Advocates of the city of Moscow, the disciplinary proceedings against the advocates were terminated on the basis of subparagraph 2 of paragraph 1 of Article 25 of the Code of Professional Ethics of the Advocate, namely, due to the absence in the actions (inaction) of the advocates of a violation of the norms of the legislation on advocacy and the legal profession and the Code of Professional Ethics of the Advocate.
In making such a decision, the Council emphasized that the departure of advocates outside the Russian Federation in itself, including for a period of more than a year and in the absence of valid reasons, is not a ground for bringing an advocate to disciplinary liability, since such liability can only arise for the advocate’s failure to perform professional duties or for other violations of the requirements of the legislation on advocacy and the legal profession, as well as professional ethics[1].
The General Council of the International Association of Russian Advocates fully shares this legal approach. The Law vests the Council of the Chamber of Advocates with the exclusive competence to terminate the status of an advocate and the prerogative to assess the presence of «other valid reasons» for a prolonged stay of an advocate abroad.
